Variability of the component composition of the essential oil of <i>Artemisia salsoloides</i> Willd. from natural populations of the flora of Dagestan

Abstract

To study the variability of the gathering locality and componen t composition of essential oil from the aerial part of a little‐studied species – Artemisia salsoloides Willd. depending on abiotic environmental factors, such as height above the level of the place of growth. Aerial parts of A. salsoloides were collected during the flowering phase in four Dagestan natural populations to obtain essential oil using the Clevenger method. To determine the component composition of the samples obtained of essential oils of A. salsoloides, chromatography‐mass spectrometric analysis was used. The components were identified using the NIST08 and FFNSC mass spectral libraries. In total, 55 compounds were identified in the essential oil samples, where monoterpenoids account for 59.92 % – 75.98 % and sesquiterpenoids – for 23.24 % to 37.81 %. At the same time, 15 major compounds were identified. Thus, it should be noted that there was found to be a wide range of values for monoterpenoids: β‐pinene, trans‐β‐ocimene, cis‐alloocimene, benzene, 2,4‐pentadinyl, and among sesquiterpenoids – α‐copaene, β‐sesquiphilandrene, spathulenol. The quantitative yield of essential oil in the studied samples varied from 0.68 % to 1.36 % of airdried raw materials, depending on the growth location of the species. Four separate populations of A. salsoloides were identified by means of cluster analysis based on the component composition of the studied essential oils. For the first time, the composition of the essential oil of the aerial part of wild Dagestan samples of A. salsoloides was studied as depending on an abiotic factor (height above sea level) of the environment. The results obtained of the component composition of the essential oil of A. salsoloides samples showed the presence of a number of valuable compounds, which allow the use of essential oils as their sources.